Foot construction



p 63 R. s. WATERS 3,103,332

FOOT CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 1, 1960 INVENTOR ROBERT $.WATERS WT R ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,103,332 FOOT CONSTRUCTION Robert S. Waters, Lexington, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pin, a corporatzon of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 73,110 3 (Ilaims. (Cl. 248-24) This invention relates to a foot construction for articles adapted to rest upon felt supporting surfaces, and the nature of such articles with which this foot construction 15 utilizable is almost without limit. For example, it can be used with articles as small as desk clocks and electric blanket control cases or articles of the size of refrigerators and filing cabinets.

It is an object of the present invention to facilitate assembly of feet upon such articles.

Yet another object of the invention is to reduce the cost of feet for various articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide selfadjusting feet for articles which may rest on a supposedly flat surface, but which surface actually is not entirely flat with the result that an object supported thereon through conventional feet would wobble.

Briefly, the invention provides a foot construction comprising a relatively rigid member, preferably in the form of a tongue, integral with or struck out from the material of the article and extending therebelow, together with a body of rubber or similar material having a passage therethrough which receives the tongue or other rela tively rigid member, the passage preferably being slightly smaller than the rigid member so that the body is held on the member by friction. The body of rubber or like material is either longer than the rigid member or at least extends therebelow, so that only the rubber body contacts the supporting surface.

The self-adjusting feature referred to above is effected by utilizing a rubber foot or body of such size and compressibility, relative to the weight of the article to be supported, that if the article is resting on an uneven surface,

the opposed feet which, if solid, would be bearing all the Weight, will compress until the other two feet also engage the supporting surface, whereby wobbling of the article is eliminated.

The foregoing and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the bottom of an article provided with feet of the novel construction herein disclosed;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 11- 11 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIG. 3 is a trans-verse sectional view taken along the line III- lll of FIG. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown an article having side walls 11 and a bottom wall 12, the latter being in the form of a metal sheet. Four tongues 13 are struck out of the bottom metal sheet 12 and depend vertically therefrom beneath the article 10.

A rubber foot 1-4, of circular cross section, and provided with a passage 15 therethrough, is positioned on each of the depending tongues 13, the passage 15 through the rubber foot 14 being preformed to a cross-sectional size and shape similar to but slightly smaller than the cross section of the depending tongues, with the result that the rubber feet are frictionally retained on their tongues.

Where the article to be supported is relatively heavy, as for example filing cabinets, refrigerators or the like, the tongues 13 may be reinforced by ribs 16 formed therein at the time the tongue is struck from the metal of the bottom wall. Such ribs 16 not only stiffen the tongues but also increase the frictional engagement between the ribbed portions of the tongues and the corresponding portions of the rubber feet 14.

Preferably, the lower free ends of the tongues 13 are curved, as best shown in FIG. 1, to facilitate assembly of the rubber feet on the tongues.

It has been found desirable to form the rubber feet as a continuous strip of extruded rubber with the central passage .15 formed therein during the extrusion process. Such strips may be obtained in lengths of many feet and cut to the desired length for the individual feet in a-utomatic machinery. Although the feet 14 have been illustrated as circular in cross section, it is believed obvious that they may be of any desired cross section.

While in the construction herein illustrated, the tongues 13 are struck from a sheet of metal, it will be apparent that in heavy apparatus such as refrigerators and the like such tongues might more readily be struck from a metal flange constituting a portion of the frame for the article. -It will be equally apparent that the article may be made entirely from plastic, or at least the bottom portion thereof, in which case the tongues or corresponding rigid supporting members 113 would be of plastic, preferably cast or molded integrally with the body.

In the above description the feet 14 have been described as of rubber or like material, as it is believed that in the majority of situations such material would be preferable both from the manufacturing standpoint and further because of the fact that rubber feet would prevent injury to or marring of the supporting surface, for example, where the article is a radio to be supported on a table or other highly finished surface. However, it will be apparent that there may be circumstances where the weight of the article would be insufficient to produce marring or damage to a highly finished surface, as where the article is extremely light in weight; for example, a desk clock or the like. In such cases, the feet .13 might be made plastic or other similar material having suificient flexibility to permit the foot 14 to frictionally engage and be retained on the tongue 13. Accordingly, whereever the term rubber or like material is utilized in this specification and claims, such terms is intended to include not only rubber but any other material capable of cooperating with the tongues 1? in the manner herein disclosed.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A foot construction for an article adapted torest upon a flat supporting surface, said construction including a sheet metal tongue integral with and depending angularly from the bottom of the article, and a tubular foot of rubber or like material having a passage therethrough of substantially uniform size and shape throughout frictionally receiving said depending tongue with the lower end of said foot extending below said tongue.

2. A foot construction for an article adapted to rest upon a flat supporting surface, said construction comprising a relatively rigid member integral with said article at one end and having its other end spaced from said article, and a body of rubber or like material having a 4 passage there through, said passage frictionally receiving said other end of the relatively rigid member, and said rigid member being provided with a longitudinally extending rib, whereby the member is strengthened against bending.

3. A foot construction as specified in claim 1, wherein said tongue is provided with an irregular formation to increase the frictional engagement between said tongue and the foot.

References tCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,664,521 Mayette Apr. 3, 1928 

1. A FOOT CONSTRUCTION FOR AN ARTICLE ADAPTED TO REST UPON A FLAT SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING A SHEET METAL TONGUE INTEGRAL WITH AND DEPENDING ANGULARLY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE ARTICLE, AND A TUBULAR FOOT OF RUBBER OR LIKE MATERIAL HAVING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM SIZE AND SHAPE THROUGHOUT FRIC- 